City Hall Reporter

S.F. City Hall reporter

San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco Chronicle is looking for an aggressive, enterprising reporter to cover City Hall with a focus on homelessness, affordable and supportive housing, and the drug epidemic, writing about San Francisco’s and California’s struggles to confront these crises and whether funds are being appropriately used.

Homelessness and open-air drug use in San Francisco and California have become national stories. The reporter on these beats will be tasked with explaining why one of the richest regions and states has failed to make significant progress on such visible and intractable problems while also looking at innovative solutions.  

This is an opportunity to break news on the people and policies shaping the story, hold the powerful to account, amplify new and important voices, and explain these issues to readers here and around the world. The reporter will be part of the San Francisco City Hall team and will focus on how city departments and elected officials respond to the crisis.

The reporter will be expected to build sources in the homeless community and spend time on the streets. They will be asked to tell the stories of unhoused residents and share the perspectives of housed residents and business owners.

Reporters at the Chronicle seek to provide must-read, best-in-class coverage through scoops, investigative stories, narrative journalism and utility pieces that demystify politics and government systems. We’re seeking a self-starter who has strong writing skills, is comfortable providing and taking feedback, thrives on collaboration, is committed to inclusive journalism and wants to own the stories that matter most.

What you will do:

• Compete to break news for SFChronicle.com and the Chronicle's print edition.

• Examine how systems and leaders deliver on promises.

• Develop enterprise stories, profiles and analysis pieces.

• Produce digital projects by collaborating with other newsroom teams.

What it will take to be successful: 

• At least two years of experience in a newsroom or related work environment.

• Strong news judgment, creativity, meticulousness and commitment to fairness.

• Willingness to dive deeply into policy details while clearly explaining them.

• Ability to collaborate and work in a fast-changing news environment.

• Commitment to visual storytelling and openness to alternative story forms.

Requirements: 

• This position is full-time and will likely include some weekend work.

• The candidate must be based in the Bay Area.

In accordance with applicable law, Hearst is required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role if hired in California. The reasonable estimate is between $80,000 and $100,000. A final decision on the successful candidate’s starting salary will be based on a number of permissible, non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to skills and experience, training, certifications and education.

About the San Francisco Chronicle: 

The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by the Hearst Corporation in 2000, the Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded seven Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence, including the 2026 award for explanatory reporting.

HNP Overview: 

With 2,500 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers (HNP) represents a network of 28 daily and 50 weekly publications, including the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, San Francisco Chronicle and Times Union (Albany). Our portfolio also includes several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites such as Chron., CT Insider, MySA and SFGATE, along with marketing services businesses like Medium Giant and entertainment brands such as King Features Syndicate. 

At HNP, we’re investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories — growing newsrooms, diversifying tools and evolving platforms — to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired. 

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